Prow-shaped water sled with manually operated steering apparatus



Nov. 8, 1960 A D. H. MCCLAIN 2,958,875

PROW-SHAPED WATER SLED WITH MANUALLY OPERATED STEERING APPARATUS FiledSept. 6, 1957 INVENTOR DAVID H. MCCLAIN ATTORNEY and the wake of thetowing speedboat.

2,958,875 Patented Nov. 8, 1960 PROW-SHAPED WATER SLED WITH MANUALLYOPERATED STEERING APPARATUS David H. McClain, Joseph A. McClain, In,P.(). Box 3239, Tampa, Fla.

Filed Sept. 6, 1957, Ser. No. 682,544

12 Claims. (Cl. 9-310) This invention pertains to water-borne sportsequipment.

The object of my invention is to relate the known principles ofhydrodynamics and aerodynamics to recreational devices of the water-skiclass, thereby minimizing the physical strains and physical hazardshitherto associated with the sport of water skiing.

In the prior art, the design of water skis and water sleds has beenunduly influenced by snow skis and toboggans, and thus ultimately bybarrel staves and ham doors. Skis and toboggans are propelled, Wholly bygravity, over a substantially smooth inclined plane offering a minimumof friction between the waxed hard wood surface of the ski and thehard-packed surface of the snow. In devices of the water ski class, onthe other hand, a waxed, substantially flat hard wood surface is towedat high speed over a water surface made rough and irregular by wind Themotion of the water ski, therefore, is partly through water and partly,in defiance of gravity, over water.

So considered, the two situations are seen to be-wholly dissimilar, andthe analogy hitherto drawn between them to be false. In my view, it isthis false analogy which has made water skiing more hazardous and moredemanding of athletic skill than is inherently necessary, effectivelyrestricting this type of sports activity to venturesome young athletes.

My device is calculated to interest a far wider public in water skiingby minimizing the physical hazards and the physical strains imposed byknown devices, preserving however the kinesthetic and recreationalvalues of ski-sports, whether on snow or on water. To the highly skilledyoung athlete, moreover, the flexibility of my device provides a widerrange within which he can practice coordination and demonstrate skill.

To this end, I invoke a seriesof expedients new in this context andcombine them in a free form design. First, I form the sled in imitationof the prow of a speedboat with keel and shaped sides. Optionally, I mayadd to the hull fixed fins for maximum directional stability againstyaw.

nally, I provide that the rudder-control sub-assembly may be optionallyremoved, thereby enabling the sportsman to keep his position by means ofpositionally fixed but adjustable shoes while he grasps the grip-barandirope in his hands as is now done.

I contemplate that sleds of my design will most advantageously beexecuted in low-density glass fiber materials rather than in marineplywood or laminated hard woods.

the sled with its removable rudder. plan view of the sled and steeringassembly, as seen from In my drawing, Fig. 1 is a profile view of theremovable rudder sub-assembly. Fig. 2 is a profile view of the handlebarand grip sub-assembly, removable along with the rudder sub-assembly.Fig. 3 is a top view of the removable handle-bar and grip sub-assembly.Fig. 4 is a top view of the main bodyof the sled complete with steeringassembly. Fig. 5 is a side or profile view of the sled with steeringassembly. Fig. 6 is a bottom view of Fig. 7 is a head-on directly infront. Fig. 8 shows, on a relatively enlarged 'scale, a detail of thesled comprising a receptacle for the removable rudder sub-assembly. Fig.9, on the same relatively enlarged scale, is a detail of a hollowcylinder with adherent lug and tightening bolts. Fig. 10, again on thesame scale as Figs. 1 through 7, shows a direct rear plan view of thesled complete with steering apparatus.

The sled consists of a forwardly tapering, non-rectangular platform,here shown by way of example as deltashaped. That platform is modifiedby slight lateral dishing in the manner of Sideboards and by rearwardprojections 18 and 19, and equipped with a pair of shoes 4 and 5,positionally fixed relative to the platform but adjustable to theindividual sportsman. Along the longitudinal axis of the sled andapporximat'ely at its position of gravity, I place a receptacle 13 forthe removable steering apparatus. By means of the fixed eyelets 7 and 8forward, the sled may be attached by means of ropes to the towingspeedboat when the steering apparatus is being utilized.

on the ventral surface of the sled, I use a shallow keel 17, optionallyaugmented by a pair of rearward stabilizing fins 2 and 3 which also, inthe relative position here indicated, serveto protect the rudder againstdamage in shallowwater.

By means of their arced contours, the rearward extensions 18 and 19clear the wakes of the towing speedboat and of the sea sled itself, andoffset the tendency of the stern to drag as the bow is lifted out of thewater at high forward speeds.

The removable steering assembly (Figs. 1 and 2), consists of a curvedbi-manual handlebar element 6, a tubular column 9 telescopicallyadjustable at 20, a downward-projecting rudder holder 1, and a rudder14. It will be noted that the upper portion of the shaft 9 is bentforward to throw the handles away from the body of the sportsman,thereby .providing a more natural position for steering.

The receptacle '13 for the above-described assembly is positioned alongthe longitudinal axis of the sled, at or near its centerof gravity. Thesaid receptacle is developed around'a central .cylinder 10 correspondingto the tubular column 9, and also includes two coaxial depressions 15and 16. The inner depression 15 is fully annular and of a diametermatching that of the cylinder 10. The outer depression 16, however, is apartial annulus developed through substantially 90 of arc, providing achannel within which the centrally spaced adherent lug 11 mayrestrictedly rotate through, say, of are, or only 40 either side of deadcenter.

Thus, neither the handlebars 6 nor the rudder 14 is free 1y rotatable ontheir common vertical axis, but only within the 80-0f play permitted bythe lug 11 and channel 16 which together comprise a stop-motion element.It will be perceived that the design of the receptacle 13 has a dualfunctionz first, to hold the shaft-9 in a fixed position relative to thechamber, and-second, to limit the angular speedboat, the path of thespeedboat is the principal vector component of the path of any objecttowed behind it, in this instance, of the water sled. Hitherto, thewater skier has been able to slalom, e.g,, follow a sine-curve pathbehind and across the straight-line courseof the towing boat, byshifting his body weight. With my device, the sportsman is able toslalom by shifting his body weight as heretofore, or he may accomplishthe same effect solely by rudder-action or by any desired combination ofthe two forces.

On the other hand, the stabilizing fins 2 and 3, in cooperation with thekeel 17, operate to resist the yawing effect set up by the wake of thespeedboat, whether the rudder sub-assembly is in use or not.

By means of three bolts 12, spaced 120 apart around the periphery of thehollow cylinder 10, the cylinder is adjustably secured upon the shaft 9.

When the steering assembly (Figs. 1 and 2) is optionally removed, thereceptacle 13 is plugged, the ropes are detached from the eyelets 7 and8, and the sportsman holds in his hands a conventional grip bar attachedby ropes to the towing speedboat. He is still able to slalom, modifyinghis path relative to that of the towing speedboat, but only by shiftingbody weight as now. In general, he obtains a larger effect from a lesseramount of effort because of the built-in stability provided by the keel17 and the fins 2 and 3 in conjunction with the shaped and tapered hull.

What I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:

1. A delta-shaped water sled having the apex of the delta forward andthe base of the delta rearward comprising, a substantially flatdelta-shaped deck having an isosceles triangle configuration, upwardlyflaring angularly disposed sideboards joined with said deck along thetwo equal lengthed forward edges thereof, said sideboards joining oneanother to form a bow at said apex, said sideboards having outer edgesdisposed parallel to said equal lengthed forward edges, said sideboardsextending rearwardly beyond the stern edge of said deck, the undersurface of said sideboard having rounded engagement with said deck, acenter keel running from how to stern, a pair of parallel-shapedstabilizing fins on either side of said keel and parallel thereto, andmeans for towing said sled.

2. A delta-shaped water sled having the apex of the delta forward andthe base of the delta rearward comprising, a substantially fiatdelta-shaped deck having an isosceles triangle configuration, upwardlyflaring angularly disposed sideboards joined with said deck along thetwo equal lengthed forward edges thereof, said sideboards extending fromsaid forward edges of said deck a substantial distance, said sideboardsjoining one another to form a bow at said apex, said sideboardsextending rearwardly beyond the stern edge of said deck, the undersurface of said sideboards having rounded engagement with said deck, acenter keel running from bow to stern, a pair of parallel-shapedstabilizing fins on either side of said keel and parallel thereto, andmeans for towing said sled.

3. A dela-shaped water sled having the apex of the delta forward and thebase of the delta rearward comprising, a substantially flat delta-shapeddeck having an isosceles triangle configuration, upwardly flaringangularly disposed sideboards joined with said deck along the two equallengthed forward edges thereof, said sideboards extending from saidforward edges of said deck a substantial distance, said sideboardsjoining one another to form a bow at said apex, said sideboards ex-.tending rearwardly beyond the stern edge of said deck,

a center keel running from bow to stern, a pair of parmeans for towingsaid sled.

allel-shaped stabilizing fins on either side of said keel and parallelthereto, and means for towing said sled.

4. A delta-shaped water sled having the apex of the delta forward andthe base of the delta rearward comprising, a substantially flatdelta-shaped deck having an isosceles triangle configuration, upwardlyflaring angularly disposed sideboards joined with said deck along thetwo equal lengthed forward edges thereof, said sideboards extending fromsaid forward edges of said deck a substantial distance, said sideboardsadjoining one another to form a bow at said apex, said sideboardsextending rearwardly beyond the stern edge of said deck, a pair ofparallel-shaped stabilizing fins on the undersurface of said sled andparallel to one another, and means for towing said sled,

5. A delta-shaped water sled having the apex of the delta forward andthe base of the delta rearward comprising, a substantially flatdelta-shaped deck having an isosceles triangle configuration, upwardlyflaring angularly disposed sideboards joined with said deck along thetwo equal lengthed forward edges thereof, said sideboards extending fromsaid forward edges of said deck a substantial distance, said sideboardsjoining one another to form a bow at said apex, said sideboardsextending rearwardly beyond the stern edge of said deck, a center keeldisposed on the under surface of said sled, and

6. A water sled as defined in claim 3 wherein, said water sled has asteering means connected thereto.

7. A water sled as defined in claim 3 wherein, said water sled hassecured to said deck a steering control assembly, and a rudder operatedby said assembly.

8. A delta-shaped water sled having the apex of the delta forward andthe base of the delta rearward comprising. a substantially fiatdelta-shaped deck having an isosceles triangle configuration, upwardlyflaring angularly disposed sideboards joined with said deck along thetwo equal lengthed forward edges thereof, said sideboards extending fromsaid deck a substantial distance, said sideboards joining one another toform a bow at said apex, a center keel disposed on the under surface ofsaid sled, a pair of parallel-shaped stabilizing fins on either side ofsaid keel and parallel thereto, and means for towing said sled.

9. A water sled as defined in claim 4 wherein, said water sled hasconnected thereto a steering means.

10. A water sled as defined in claim 5 wherein, said water sled hasconnected thereto a steering means.

11. A water sled as defined in claim 1 wherein, said water sled hasconnected thereto a steering means.

12. A delta-shaped water sled having the apex of the delta forward andthe base of the delta rearward comprising, a substantially flatdelta-shaped deck having an isosceles triangle configuration, upwardlyflaring angularly disposed sideboards joined with said deck along thetwo equal lengthed forward edges thereof, said sideboards extending fromsaid deck a substantial distance, said sideboards joining one another toform a bow at said apex, a center keel disposed in the undersurface ofsaid sled, and means for towing said sled.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,271,277 Roscher Jan. 27, 1942 2,685,696 Oscanyan Aug. 10, 19542,735,115 Dees Feb. 21, 1956 2,744,267 Roby May 8, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS753,711 France Aug. 12, 1933 687,340 Germany Jan. 20, 1940

